International

Philippines seeks formal talks with China amid South China Sea tensions: Ramos

  (Reuters)  The Philippines special envoy to China, Fidel Ramos, said on Friday Manila wants formal discussions with China to explore pathways to peace and cooperation after a meeting with former Chinese deputy foreign minister Fu Ying. Ramos was speaking near the end of a trip to Hong Kong undertaken in an attempt to rekindle ties with China, which have been soured by a maritime dispute in the South China Sea. An arbitration court in […]

US issues fresh travel warning for N. Korea

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US State Department updated its already strong travel warning for North Korea on Thursday in light of Pyongyang’s recent warning that it would treat any detained US citizens according to “wartime law.” Although Washington has long warned about the dangers of travelling to North Korea in any capacity, its formal advisories have strengthened in tone with the recent arrest and detention of a number of American citizens. Among the […]

7.2-magnitude quake hits off New Caledonia, no tsunami threat

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — A 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of New Caledonia Friday in the tectonically active Pacific region, but there was no tsunami threat, seismologists said. The quake struck at a depth of about nine kilometres (5.5 miles) some 109 kilometres east of Ile Hunter in New Caledonia at 0126 GMT, the United States Geological Survey said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no current warning or advisory in the […]

Clinton, Trump spar over Islamic State claim, economy

by Michael Mathes WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Hillary Clinton admonished Donald Trump on Thursday for claiming she and President Barack Obama were the founders of the Islamic State group, as the White House rivals also clashed on plans to improve the US economy. “No, Barack Obama is not the founder of ISIS,” Clinton tweeted as she accused her 2016 election rival of a “smear” against the president. “Anyone willing to sink so low, so […]

Firefighters battle blazes in southern France and Portugal

MARSEILLE, France (AFP) – by Andrea PALASCIANO Fires that raged through countryside near Marseille left a trail of destruction but were no longer threatening the southern French city on Thursday, firefighters said. Around 500 people have been forced to flee their homes since Wednesday as flames fanned by strong winds consumed more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of mainly scrubland and forest and gutted several homes. French President Francois Hollande said authorities believe some of the […]

Clinton, Trump spar over his Islamic State founders claim

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Hillary Clinton admonished rival Donald Trump on Thursday for claiming that she and Barack Obama were the founders of the Islamic State, saying anyone who would “sink so low” should never be president. “No, Barack Obama is not the founder of ISIS,” Clinton tweeted. “Anyone willing to sink so low, so often should never be allowed to serve as our Commander-in-Chief.” Trump again roiled the presidential campaign late Wednesday, telling a […]

Ukraine blocks jihadist routes to Syria: security service

KIEV, Ukraine (AFP) – by Dmitry ZAKS Ukraine’s security service said on Thursday it had blocked channels being used by jihadists travelling to fight with the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq and detained an ‘IS recruiter’ from one of the former Soviet republics. “The Ukranian security service, prosecutor’s office, police and migration service have blocked several channels for the transit of foreign fighters to the IS international terrorist group through our state’s territory,” […]

Libya pro-govt forces say Sirte battle in ‘final phase’

TRIPOLI, Libya (AFP) – by Rim Taher Pro-government forces battled Thursday to clear the Islamic State group from its main Libyan stronghold of Sirte, after dealing a major blow to the jihadists by seizing their headquarters. IS still controls several areas of the Mediterranean city, whose capture in June 2015 sparked fears the extremists would use it as a springboard for attacks on Europe. Sirte’s fall would be a huge setback to the jihadists’ efforts […]

Crisis deepens as Poland’s top court rejects contested reforms

WARSAW, Poland (AFP) – by Mary SIBIERSKI Poland’s Constitutional Court struck down more government reforms Thursday aimed at clipping its wings in a deepening constitutional crisis that has set Warsaw on a collision course with the EU. Chief Justice Andrzej Rzeplinski said the court found many sections of the July 22 law, adopted by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government, “non-compliant with the Polish Constitution”. Pro-democracy protesters gathered outside the court building in central […]

Turkey offers Russia joint operations against IS in Syria

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – by Fulya OZERKAN Turkey on Thursday called on Russia to carry out joint operations against Islamic State (IS) in Syria, after crucial talks between President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan aimed at ending a diplomatic crisis. The comments by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu came as a Turkish delegation was in Russia for talks aimed at coordinating actions on Syria and other bilateral issues. “We will discuss all the […]

Activists slam ASEAN roadmap to stop smog

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) – Southeast Asian nations agreed to a roadmap on Thursday to combat acrid haze from Indonesian fires that cloaks vast swathes of the region every year, but the move was greeted by activists with scepticism. Further doubts were raised about the agreement with the Indonesian environment minister skipping the one-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur attended by environment ministers from the the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a 10-member regional bloc. Malaysia’s […]

IMF agrees $12 billion loan to boost Egypt economy

CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) – by Maram Mazen The International Monetary Fund said Thursday that it had reached an initial agreement to lend $12 billion to Egypt to bolster an economy battered by years of unrest. The Egyptian government hopes the three-year deal will provide a lifeline for the North African nation as it grapples with a dollar shortage and dwindling foreign reserves. The agreement, which will have to be ratified by the IMF and Egyptian authorities, […]